Hyperthyroidism is caused by an increase of the production of the hormones
produced by the thyroid (T3 and T4).
It is a pathology that mostly affects young women between the ages of 35 and
45.The most common causes for this pathology are:
• An autoimmune disease, in other words, when our own body attacks the gland.
• An inflammation of the gland, which is less common and whose origin is viral.
SYMPTOMS
The warning symptoms are:
1. Anxiety and nervousness.
Patients describe it as feeling anxious and anguished.
It is common to be experiencing these symptoms in the evening and at night,
making it very difficult to sleep.
2. Diarrhoeas.
No link to a digestive pathology is found.
3. Heart palpitations that can
sometimes lead to serious arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation.
4. Weight loss without a loss of
appetite.
5. Excessive sweating and
intolerance to heat.
6. Weakness and muscle fatigue,
which causes patients to be unable to fulfil their duties at work.
7. A slight hand tremor. Patients
sometimes feel this tremor throughout their body and can make them feel as
though they might fall to the floor imminently.
8. Brittle hair.
This symptom stands out because the hair does not fall out but instead breaks off easily.
This symptom stands out because the hair does not fall out but instead breaks off easily.
9. Disruption of periods in women.
10. A visible increase in size of
the gland, which manifests itself as a lump in the neck, called goitre.
In some cases, bulging eyes
accompany all of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism along with inflammation of the
goitre and the anterior part of the leg that is then named ‘Graves-Basedow
disease’.
• Diagnosis.
The diagnosis is easy; all that is needed is a simple blood test whereby an
increment of the thyroid hormones can be found along with specific antibodies.
Other tests such as ultrasound scan or thyroid scan will allow us to pinpoint
the diagnosis.
• Treatment.
The treatment for this pathology are antithyroid drugs, which improves the
symptoms in mere days, however, surgical treatment or the use of radioactive
iodine, can be prescribed when oral medication is not enough to control the
condition.
Even though patience would be
needed in some cases, as a misdiagnosis is what can make patients visit all
types of doctors’ surgeries, usually the condition has an overall good
prognostic. A simple blood test solves this issue.
Dr
J. Hurtado Martínez
Medical Director of HealthSalus
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